Electric-circuit breaker.



No. 734,624. PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

M. SKINNER.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

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UNTTED STATES Fatented duly 28, 1903 PATENT Genres.

MANFORD sKINNER, or LISTIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,624, date July 28, 1903;

Application filed August 9,1902. Serial No. 119;O49. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANFORD SKINNER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Listie, in the county of Somerset and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Electric-Circuit Breaker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an electric-circuit-current breaker, and is particularly adapted for use in mines and similar structures where persons or animals are likely to come in contact with the conductor-wires.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which can be arranged at one or more points in a trolley-line which will be automatically operated by the passage of the trolley-Wheel for the purpose of cutting out any particular section of the trolley-line, thereby rendering the cutting-out section dead and harmless. In mines it iscustomary to have an electric trolley-line arranged within the mine for the purpose of transporting mate rial from the mine, and the material is hauled to the trolley-line in cars drawn by mules, and it has frequently happened that these animals have come in contact with a trolleyline at a time when an electrically-propelled car was passing out or had passed out of the mine. It is with the object of avoiding such accidents that I have designed my invention; and with this object in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter-and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a circuit-breaker constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partlyin section and showing the parts in a position reverse to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View showing the manner of pivoting'the circuit breaking levers. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the manner of connecting the ends of the levers to the conductor-wires.

In constructing a circuit-breaker in accordance with my invention I employ a plate A, having 'an upwardly-projecting bolt A, by means of which the said plate is suspended from any suitable support. A post B depends from each end of the plate A, said posts being rigidly connected by means of bolts B, said bolts, plate, and posts being properly insulated, as clearly shown in section in Fig. 2., A horizontal rod G connects the'two posts B and is rigidly secured thereto by means of the bolts 0. Short sections of conductorwire are secured to the lower ends of the posts B, said sections being designated'D and E, the section D being the one nearest the generator and the section E the one nearest the interior of the mine. These sections D and E are threaded at their inner ends, which pass through the ends of the posts, and are insulated, as shown at B and are secured by means of nuts D and E, respectively. The section D is connected to the wire D leading to the generator, by means of a coupling D and the section E is connected to the wire E leading farther into the mine, by means of a coupling E and it will be noted that these couplings are arranged a sufficient distance away from the base to expose a short piece of each section D and E, the purpose of which will appear later on. A hanger-bar F is suspended from the rod C, and pivoted to the lower end of said hanger is a lever G, the free end of which is bifurcated, as shown at Gin Fig. 4. Another lever H is also pivoted to the hanger F at a point above the pivotal connection of the lever G, the inner end of said lever H being carried upwardly, as shown at H, in order to place the pivot-point above the pivot-point of the lever G, while the main portion of the lever H is substantially in line with the lever G,so thata trolley-wheel running upon the lever G will be guided upon the lever H. The lever H is extended beyond the pivotpoint, as shown at H and is then carried downwardly, as shown at H and loosely pivoted to the lever G at H The free end of the lever H is bifurcated in substantially the same manner as the lever G, as indicated at H A con'ductor-wirel leads from the coupling D to the extended portion H of the lever H in order to prevent arcing when the levers are shifted.

The operation of my invention is as follows, reference being had to Fg. 1, in which the lever G is shown. in connection with the section D and the lever 11 disconnected from the section E: While the levers are in this position it is obvious that current is traversing the wire D and is completely out off from the wire E As the trolley-car moves into the mine the trolley-wheel will pass from the wire D to the coupling D and from there to the lever G and passing on from the lever G to the lever H will force the bifurcated end of the said lever H up into engagement with the section E, and simultaneous with the forcing upward of the lever H the lever G is forced downwardly; but inasmuch as the lever H and coupling D are connected by means of a wire I arcing is avoided, and as the trolley-wheel passes along the wire E the current will continue to flow through the wire D and E and through the lever H and conductor-wire I upon the return movement of the trolley-car, the trolley-wheel passing from the wire E to the coupling E and from there to the lever H, and as it passes from the lever H to the lever G said lever G is forced upwardly into contact with the section D and the leverH is thrown down, disconnecting its end from the section E, thereby breaking the circuit and cutting oif the current from the wire E and by constructing and arranging the circuit-breaking levers as herein shown and described a very slight movement of the levers is necessary and all danger of arcing is entirely avoided.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the hanger F is insulated from the bar 0, so that the current will not pass from one wire to another, except when the levers G and H are in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A device of the kind described, comprising a suitable supporting-frame, conductorwires leading thereto, and a pair of circuitbreaking levers pivotally suspended from the frame, the free ends of said levers being adapted to be brought alternately into connection with the wires, said levers being pivotally connected to each other so that when one lever is in contact with. its conductorwire the other lever is out of contact with its conductor-wire.

2. A device of the kind described, comprising a suitable supporting-frame, having conductor-wires connected thereto at the opposite ends, a depending hanger arranged centrally of the frame, a lever pivotally connected to the lower end of said hanger and a second lever pivotally connected to the hanger above the first-mentioned lever, said second lever being projected beyond the pivotal point and pivotally connected to the first-mentioned lever at a point between its pivot and free end, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a plate having the depending posts to which the line-wires are connected, a horizontal bar connecting the posts, the lever G, pivoted to the lower end'ot' the said hanger, the lever H pivoted to the hanger above the lever G, said lever H having an extension H and a depending portion H loosely pivoted to the lever G, and a conductor-wire connecting the section H with the line-wire leading to the generator, as and for the purpose specified.

MANFORD SKINNER.

Witnesses:

W. H. KRAMER, S. G. RECTOR. 

